U.S. Junior Amateur 2025 Set for Saucon Valley

Tournament Overview

The championship unfolds Monday through Saturday at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Old Course, a 7,082‑yard par‑71 layout, will host both stroke play and match play, culminating in Saturday’s 36‑hole final. Meanwhile, the co‑host Grace Course, a par‑70, will be used for additional stroke‑play rounds.

Field Composition

Exactly 264 golfers are entered, with 97 receiving exemptions. Among the exempt players are defending champion Hamilton Coleman and world‑ranked junior Miles Russell, who sits at No. 7 on the WAGR list. Also exempt are Oscar Couilleau (No. 33), Louis Klein (No 65) and Tuan Anh Nguyen (No 98). The roster includes 98 participants aged 18, plus Eli Weidmann—who will turn 19 the week after the event—and a lone 13‑year‑old, Japan’s Riku Takase. Six current college sophomores are in the mix, including Weidmann who plays for St. John’s.

Key Competitors

Miles Russell headlines the field. The 17‑year‑old from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, is the top‑ranked junior and seventh‑ranked amateur globally. He posted a tie for 39th at the U.S. Open and earned a spot on the 10‑man U.S. Walker Cup squad. Verbally committed to Florida State for the Class of 2027, Russell has never made it past the quarterfinal stage at this event.

Tyler Mawhinney brings reigning U.S. Amateur Four‑ball title to Vanderbilt. The 18‑year‑old from Fleming Island, Florida, captured the 2025 championship alongside current Commodore Will Hartman. He will be caddied by Jim Colton, whose son Luke (a future Vanderbilt teammate) turned 19 last month and could not play this week.

Giuseppe Puebla qualified for the recent U.S. Open but missed the cut. The 17‑year‑old from Royal Palm Beach, Florida, is a 2027 Florida commit. His family runs Mario the Baker, an Italian restaurant in town that was started by his late grandfather.

Hamilton Coleman aims to become the first back‑to‑back winner since Tiger Woods claimed titles from 1991 through 1993. The incoming Georgia freshman from Augusta, Georgia, missed the U.S. Open cut but posted an even‑par 70. He needed 25 holes to advance in his first‑round match last year at Trinity Forest.

Charlie Woods continues his streak with a third straight appearance. The 17‑year‑old from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, earned his spot through a playoff qualifier in Lake Mary. He recently caddied for Miles Russell during the U.S. Open qualifier, and this year’s trophy is named after Tiger Woods for the first time.

Emerging Talent & International Players

Samar Sandhu, a 15‑year‑old from Ashburn, Virginia, is on the course for the second consecutive USGA event this week. He caddied for his twin sister Savera during the U.S. Girls’ Junior, where she reached match play before conceded her opening match. Their older brother Sihan plays junior golf at North Carolina and will make his PGA Tour debut at this week’s 3M Open after earning a sponsor exemption for winning the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational.

Ronin Banerjee made history last year by becoming the first player in 48 years to win a U.S. Junior match, 9 and 8, over Alejandro Caraballo in the Round of 64. The 17‑year‑old from Irvine, California, is committed to Tennessee and also has a tennis background, having appeared in a 2013 Wilson commercial with Roger Federer when he was just four. His dual talent in tennis and golf highlights his versatility on and off the course.

Gabriel Mainella brings a family of college tennis players to the field. The 18‑year‑old Canadian’s father played at UTRGV, mother at Auburn, and brother Christian at Rhodes College. Mainella was once a top junior tennis contender and now studies at Longwood, where he secured a win as a freshman.

Oscar Couilleau, an 18‑year‑old from France, has been a consistent performer internationally. The Arizona State signee captured the Monroe Invitational and European Club Trophy last year and posted a third‑place finish at the World Amateur Team Championship. This season he placed second at the Portuguese Amateur, fourth at Sage Valley, and broke into the top ten at both the Lytham Trophy and European Nations Cup.

Rawlin Sutter continued his family’s streak with back‑to‑back Alabama Boys State Junior titles earlier this month. The 17‑year‑old from Cullman, Alabama, is a 2027 Alabama commit, following his older brother Bailey’s victory in 2024. He credits his improvement to the guidance of his brother and local coaches.

With top‑ranked talent and deep international representation, the U.S. Junior Amateur promises another compelling chapter in college golf’s future. Fans can expect intense competition and rising stars to emerge from this week’s play. The event also serves as a key scouting ground for future professionals and college programs.